> Another update, folks.
>
> Rob and I are back in Chania: a terrific place we have decided could
be a
> return destination.
>
> The last several days had a few elements that were interesting, as
the
> Chinese would say.
>
> Since my last e-mail, we proceeded back into the mountains from the
south
> coast of Crete. After a 12 Km ascent, the sky broke open with a
monsoon,
> and cold winds, that forced us to find refuge in a tiny church
(shrine?)
> perched on the edge of a mountain. We were caught with hard choices
> whether to proceed or retreat; but chose to stick it out for four
hours,
> the speed off when it stopped raining.
>
> At that point, pleased that we weren't stranded for an overnight stay
with
> the graves at the church, we found ourselves climbing another 15 KMs
that
> we had not anticipated. The maps we are using are less than perfect.
>
> That got us to a remote mountain village at dark--cold, hungry and
wet.
>
> We were greeted by a scene out of a Greek version of the movie
> "Deliverance". Some human throwbacks, with no English, and probably
no
> vocabulary in their own language, were the only residents. Thank
gawd,
> one 300 pound guy had a fire burning in his pot bellied stove in the
pig
> sty that was apparantly his home. We warmed up there for a while,
> grunting and nodding at one another; till we decided to pitch camp
down
> the road, again in an old church yard. Rob made some very decent
pasta.
> We drank some gin from a plastic bottle; then slept through a windy
night,
> with one eye open, listening to the strange sounds of dogs, mountain
goats
> bleating--all the while hoping we would not be the subjects of a
special
> party with the locals!!
>
> Next day, with our dignity still intact, we broke camp and headed
down the
> mountain into huge winds. The weather in this part of the world has
been
> unsettled these last few days. Even a big snow in Athens.
>
> Our trip downhill was a big letdown as the road turned out to be
volcanic
> rubble that was like riding in an earthquake zone. Then we arrived
at our
> next destination that turned out to be closed for the winter. So,
short
> on food and water, we had to grit our teeth and plow on another 24 Km
to
> the next decent town.
>
> It turned out to be a little beauty of a place--just what you would
hope a
> mountain village would be--where we had a great lunch of local
sausage and
> beer. Then a 25 KM ride all downhill on a fine winding valley road
to the
> north coast. Stayed at a neat little pensionne, whose owner could be
> anyone's favourite grandma.
>
> Today we returned to Chania with a pleasant 45 Km ride along the
coast.
> Now staying for two days in one place to catch up with some needed R
& R.
>
> After losing Sasha, it is heartwarming to see kitties all over the
place
> here. One was walking around my computer keyboard a few minutes ago.
>
> We hope to have a good meal tonight, and take in the market
tommorrow.
>
> Right now the olive harvest is in full force. There are oranges and
other
> fruits ripening. The stores (all little neighbourhood types--no
> Walmarts!) are loaded with beautiful fruits a veggies. I am even
loving
> the feta cheese. It is just superb.
>
> Thanks for reading.
>
> Miss everyone. Looking forward the Xmas season.
>
> Ed